The Hardest Part
by Roz
Summary: [Movieverse] Optimus Prime's thoughts on the scene that occurs beneath the bridge. Sometimes being the leader is the heaviest burden to bear.


**Title: **The Hardest Part

**Rating: **PG-13

**Author: **Roz

**Summary: **The thoughts of Optimus Prime and those included in that scene under the bridge in the 2007 movie.

**Authors note: **Before this movie I had never ever watched a Transformers episode, and had never showed any interest before. Autobots and humans will be OOC, sorry! Also dialogue isn't 100 as I can't remember the exact lines, sorry! Please leave a review!

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* * *

T__he hardest__ part was letting go_

_Not taking part_

_That was the hardest part_

* * *

Optimus knew that something was going to go wrong. These humans were just too fragile, too young, too small. He didn't even know how he was going to protect them. They were only as tall as one of his metallic fingers, he could easily have broken them in half by snapping his fingers. Everything and everyone just seemed to be against him. Except for his team of course. 

Oh, how he cursed the war that had raged on for hundreds of thousands of years. Aeons seemed to have come and gone, friends and foes lost alike. Death, destruction and the Decepticons. Battles fought, lost and won. Friends had died cradled in his arms. He had seen their spark extinguished in front of his eyes, felt their cirucits fade and dwindle – slow down to nothing. Energon leaked from their broken bodies as their optics gazed imploringly into his. Even while knowing that there was nothing their fearless leader could do.

That was the problem with being Prime. Your friends died and then you had to go on leading like nothing had changed. Otherwise their deaths were in vain. But things had changed. Another comrade lost forever to the war. He had to be strong, if only for the sake of the others left behind. He had made decisions that even he couldn't believe that he had been forced to make. Autobots had been injured because of his decisions. Sometimes Optimus hated his position within the Autobots. Sometimes he wished for an easier life, an easier destiny. Sometimes he wasn't even sure if he had the strength to end the war. There was only so much one Autobot could stand. And now he was stuck in another position where he knew he was going to have to make another one of those decisions.

Sam and Mikaela were seated up on his shoulder while he hid from the humans. Why they so relentless pursued the children because of his contact he was not sure of. They were only children, so small within his frame. Ah, the young. He could remember the young of his type. But he had not seen one now for a millenia. Bumblebee was the youngest in his crew and he was already old and weary with battle-torn experience. Some of the things that the little Autobot had faced he would not wish upon anyone, even his enemies. The Decepticons were cold, logical and cruel in their torturous manipulative ways. But the yellow Bot had recovered and the youngest Autobot had made friends with the youngest human. Sam Witwicky. The human that could hold the key to the salvation of the Autobots and the end of the war as the Transformers knew it. How a simple organic being could hold so much power while being so powerless themselves was something that greatly amused Prime.

Optimus was startled out of his reverie as a helicopter zoomed past below him, just seemingly skimming the ground. His faint jerk was all that was needed to dislodge the female human. Fleetingly, he felt her hands scrabble at his armour and then she fell.

Optimus Prime had heard of other Autobots talk of this strange occurence but this was the first time that he experienced it. Time slowed.

The females eyes were opened wide as she fell, her hands reaching up, screaming for something to grasp onto. And Sam caught her. Prime could feel Sam's hand grasped around his shoulder armour but knew that it was not going to last. Mikaela was just too heavy for him to hold, and his grip was slipping.

Where were the others? Surely they had not abandoned him?

Then Sam fell. Optimus knew that it was over. There was nothing he could do about it. The boy had lost his grip and was going to fall to his death with his female companion.

_NO!_ This couldn't be happening! The boy's arms flailed helplessly as he fell and Optimus knew that he had to do something. He ran the options through his head but knew it was hopeless. If he dropped to save the boy, there was a greater chance that he would simply crush the humans with his giant bulk. They were already falling so there was no way that he would be able to catch them on the ground. There was only one hope, to break their fall before they hit the ground and pray that they would bounce with less force.

Optimus dropped his legs and stretched out with his length trying to catch the humans on his feet and winced as he felt them crash into him and continue on their way down.

Hopeless. It was over. They would die and so would the chance of recovering the All Spark and ending the war.

There was nothing he could do. That was the hardest part.

* * *

Bumblebee raced time itself as he forced himself to move quicker. He had seen the scene unfold before his optics and knew he had to do something. He could not idly stand by and watch as his human was in danger. He was Sam's guardian after all! He saw Sam fall and witnessed Prime's and witnessed Prime's anguish as he realised there was nothing he could do to stop the imminent plumment. 

_Faster, FASTER!_ He urged himself and willed himself to put on a single burst of speed. The humans were screaming as the ground rushed up at them after bouncing off Prime's foot. Bumblebee knew that he only had one shot at this.

He forced himself to transform quickly and just as his wheels changed to legs, he pushed off the ground and stretched out with a desperate grab at the humans. Suddenly, the ground was rushing up at him and instinctively he curled up, protecting his body and the fragile humans that he grasped within his hand. Everything was a jumble of sky, ground and pain as the Autobot rolled along the ground at high speed. As he came to a standstill Bumblebee looked up and forced himself to his feet to make sure the humans had made it. They had been thrown out of his hand by the G forces of his roll and lay on the ground unmoving.

_NO! _Surely they couldn't be hurt. Not his human, not his Sam. Not after everything that he had done. _Please get up, _Bumblebee beseeched the prone figures, _Get up! Please..._

Suddenly a helicopter whirled overhead and at the same time the human's groggily raised their heads. Bumblebee was so happy he could danced a jig on the spot, but spun around to face the helicopter as the puny piece of machinery spat out some sort of projectile weapon. Without thinking, Bumblebee raised his hand to intercept it, thinking it was aimed at Sam and Mikaela. Suddenly pain seared his receptors as the metal pierced his armour. Rapidly, more projectiles flew towards him and pinned him down. How could this be? They were only humans, so primitive and small were their weapons.

Vaguely he could hear Sam screaming as the helicopters dragged him to his knees. Unexpectedly, his legs were dragged out of him and the Autobot hit the ground hard, slamming his head into the ground. What was happening? There were ants, no, humans, all around him enveloping him in cold. Freezing, sub-zero temperatures. His nerve receptors screamed and Bumblebee cried out in pain and fear. Didn't the humans know that he was here to help? That's all he wanted to do. Just help.

His body was slowing down, betraying him. The cold was burning him. Bumblebee cried out for help, knowing that Optimus Prime could see him but also knowing that there was nothing that he could do. He could see Sam running towards him, then being intercepted by another human who slammed the boy into the ground – very much the same way he was being held down.

_No Sam, don't try to help._ Bumblebee knew how much it pained the human to see him like this, knowing he was powerless. Another tug on the ropes holding him down brought another cry to his lips, as his body started to shut down. His power source was going into stasis to protect from the freezing cold. But, by slag, it hurt. Every molecule in his organic metal body screamed in pain.

"Get away from him!" Sam yelled as he fought off a soldier holding the nitrogen gun before being tackled from behind and thrown to the ground.

_It is no use Sam. _Bumblebee wished that he could just talk to the human. Just to say one word to console him. _Please, just stay safe. Be well. _But he couldn't. No, Megatron had robbed him of that right.

The Autobot locked optics with the boy's eyes as Sam beseeching stared at him. There was nothing exchanged but anguish between the two. Helpless. _Optimus__ Prime. Why?_ It was Bumblebee's last thought as his body finally shut down; his cries subsiding to moans as the nerves were silenced by darkness. _Why have you abandoned me?_

Then there was nothing.

* * *

Optimus Prime turned away from the sight before him. The youngest member of his team was being assaulted right in front of his optics, and once again, for the greater good, there was nothing the leader of the Autobots could do. Sure, he could jump down and rip the bonds holding down Bumblebee and stomp the blasted humans flat but then...how would that differentiate him from a Decepticon?_Freedom is the right of every sentient being_. It was his favourite catchphrase, his golden rule, may it be. But, by slag, why was it his comrades that had to bear the brunt of his beliefs? 

Bumblebees cries of pain burned his ears and tore his heart in two. He had a vague idea of what the human's government would do with the little, yellow Autobot. Testing, trials and torture. In some ways, the humans were just as ruthless as the Decepticons. Optimus watched as Sam gallantly put up a fight to reach his precious car. In other ways, the humans were valiant, brave if albeit, a bit stupid.

His heart could not bear to watch the slow descent of his youngest team member. Prime was almost glad when the yellow Autobot's system went into hibernation, quietening the cries of anguish.

"Are you going to do anything?" Optimus was startled as Jazz swung down beside him to watch Bumblebee being dragged away.

The leader already knew what had to be done. Even if it did go against everything he knew. "There is nothing we can do without harming the humans."

"But it doesn't feel right." Jazz was right of course. It didn't feel right. But that's what being leader was all about. Making decisions for the greater good. Sacrificing friends to save the species. Doesn't mean it didn't hurt.

Why Bumblebee? The little Autobot had stood by valiantly next to Prime, even if he did only come up to Optimus' shoulder. For someone so small, he had gone through so much. His vocal processes had been ripped out by Megatron himself during the battle of Tyger Pax. They were never sure if he would talk ever again. He had been brainwashed into a mindless gladiator. He had been captured and held as bait. He had been tortured.

By the Allspark, he was so small. And now Optimus Prime would have to turn his back on his brave, little comrade.

Anguish tearing his spark apart Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots spoke. "Let them go."

And then he turned and walked away.

* * *

_Everything that I know is wrong_

_Everything that I do, it just comes undone_

_And everything is torn apart_

_Oh, and that's the hardest part_

_That's the hardest part_

* * *


End file.
